Schism of the Gods Among Men

The part rests up from the fiasco the previous night. Edmond Dantès acts on the objects he picked up from Debbie Grigg’s desk. He convinces Bryne Garett to watch after his body with the rest of the group milling about the aion christopher’s lair. Edmond performs his magic to take Deb’s body.

Edmond comes to in Deb’s house (in Deb’s body). He explores her house, finding the kids home. After a perimeter search, he calls a cab to take him to the lair.

Bryne watches Edmund’s body as he performs the body swap ritual. Once the change takes place, Bryne tries to calm Deb (in Edmond’s body) down. Unsuccessful in his attempt, Nadia (Angel) steps in to assisst. They both fail in the attempt and Deb makes a break for the door. Long story short, after paradoxes and failed rolls, Deb is apprehended unconciously after being shot by a Paradoxically paranoid Bryne. They bring her back in the apartment while Aion busts out some medical tools to pull the bullets out and stitch her back up. Edmond arrives to see the beginning of the patch up work being done to his old body. Right after Aion finishes up, the cops knock on the door. After no response, they begin to try letting themselves in via force.

Bryne thinks fast and shoots his plan to make the party invisible. Once they let themselves in, the party waits for the right time to waltz their way out without vocalization and a firefight. In the staircase, they let go of brynes gift. Bryne goes back to his apartment, and the rest of the party heads over to Cassandra’s Visions bookstore.

The mages of the party are sent of to Cassandra’s Vissions bookstore to be taught by Taliesin. Over 2 weeks, the party gathers at the store to learn about their abilities and capabilities.

During this time, they find out about a mysterious phenomenon. A very large portion of Chicago is suffering from water problems. An abnormal pollutant is causing the still water to become stagnant faster, cloud up faster, take on a metallic taste, a pungant stench, and take on an oily residue. This pollutant seems to evade any current water treatment techniques. This effect seems to center around the Loop area and goes as high as Evanston and goes as low as Rainbow park, reaching out into a large chunk of Lake Michigan. The party tasks themselves out to find out whats causing it and and a way to cure it. Thier first deduction is an origin around the Navy pier.

Going to the Pier, they investigate the area to see who would be sailing around polluted waters. Most docks seemed deserted at the time, but 1 had a Yacht that had well dressed people that seemed to be partying. Just as they were ready to formulate a plan, they were interruped by the harbor master. Since having no real business, they were urged to leave the area as to avoid disturbance with the people in the area. The party then sets up surveillance nearby on the yacht, concerned that there is something fishy going on.

Nightfall comes around as the last of the party goers leaves the boat and more men start to appear around that dock. The party is concered bc these men wear dark clothing, seeming to be expensive in nature. The group comes together to act.

Bryne Garett leads the team by setting a distraction, being the master of light and sound. He paradoxs his complex spell and makes the sound of gunfire come from one side of the docks near a cargo hold and the flash of light from the “guns” come from the other. Still suitable as a distraction, the men patroling the area pull guns and scatter in either location.

aion christopher struggles for his life as he breaks free and runs, gets pursued by the same guard (in a benny hill type fashion). He takes freedom by the reigns and plunges himself into the lake and swims to safety, evading his pursuier in the polluted water.

The rest of the group make a stealthy break for the yacht during the distraction, all but one makes it. aion christopher gets tackled to the ground in his not so stealthy attempt to get on the boat. He is left for the sharks so to say…

While onboard, the party (minus 1) sneaks around for the captain’s quarters. They get around unnoticed. While they listen to the other side, someone can be heard conversing to someone else…getting louder as they listen… the door opens and noone expected what happened next…

THERE WAS A FIRE FIGHT!

Edmond shouts to subdue the captain as Crim opens fire on the henchman accompanying the captain. Edmond tackles low for a successful grapple, Ma’iitosh tackles mid and misses, and Rand misses at fisticuffs. The captain then reverses the grapple and puts Edmond in a vicegrip like headlock ( like so ). Combat plays out in the parties favor, Rand eventually beating the poor captain into submission(he’s my NPc, what can i say?) after the henchman is takin out by crim. Interrogation results in the owners of the yacht being the italian mafia and no connection to the polluted water. Having no real story to get their way outta this jam…thick, gooey, sticky….sweet jam….they deside to make a toasty getaway.

They encounter some of the ships crew, and crim disquises himself as one of the crew and leap frogs the party through the ship to its lower hold, tricking guards left and right. The cargo holds, a hefty amount of human slaves and Firearms (with lack of ammunition). With some quick thinking, the party free the slaves and give them the Firearms to use as blunt instruments. A riot errupts from the belly as the ship as the mob is overrun by the slaves revolt. A getaway is made under the guise of the bloody revolt. Out of the mayhem, the party (minus 1) goes back into hiding at their servellance spot. Rand calls his contacts of the guardians of the veil at request of the group to inform them of their mishap.

aion christopher gets a sample of the water from his soaked clothing, and heads over to Cassandra’s Visions’s to seek repair for his soaked book. The rest of the group then calls it a night.

Rand and Edmond are tasked to seek out the newly awakened mages that are popping up around the city. Rand’s Guardian of the Veil contacts give them the info on where it approximatly happened, and they investigate. Given between 3 immediate encounters, they choose the Welson complex first.

Crim has come to….unharmed from the blast. Jolted by the expierence, he gathers his bearing and heads off to search his surroundings with gun in hand. Going upto the rooftop, he encounters 2 mages in a Vulgar fight to the death. Choosing the more sinister looking of the two, he shoots. Dennis, being the lucky one, takes the sinister mage off guard with an electric blast that sends him over the edge (literally). Dennis saves Crim the pleastries, and convinces him to evacuate with him. Things can be explained later, in a safer place. On the run a few levels lower, then encounter the sinister mage once again. After the scuffle, Dennis and crim leave the mage beaten in the halway and make a getaway. They escape the building and through the grasp of the police and medics scrambling to get medical attention to those who need it.

Angel notices the building up in smoke, then searches the abandoned apartment (still dressed in work attire). Finding nothing to explain how she arrived, she leaves. When she gets down to the lobby, she notices the police asking the worker at the front desk a few questions. As she walks closer, the worker points to her. Once the cop approaches her, she runs. A chase ensues as she makes a break for it, going up the staircases. A few close calls and she gets to the 3rd floor entrance, where she finds a figure (Asmodeus) in a suite waiting for her in the hallway. He makes his motives clear, he is going to help her escape. The cop busts in and Asmodeus waves a hand and tells him that she went up the staircase. He thanks Asmodeus as he radios in that he is still in pursuit. They waltz out the front door, unseen by the police. A limo is waiting for them, they get in and drive off.

Dennis calls rand, and designates a rendevous spot. Dennis and Crim get picked up by Rand and Edmond. Next on their list after they drop off Dennis, is some stripper that went crazy and ran from the Abbatoir. Upon arrival, Edmond talks his way into the crime scene. The head investigator on scene values his insight and allows him to search for anything of use. He snags a stilleto and sneaks it out with a set of well collected skills of the past few lifetimes…. He says his thanks & goodbyes, heading off with the group. Edmond lets them know of his abilities as a body thief (24hr time limit), needing a secluded spot to work his “magic.” Rand takes the group to a nearby parking garage. Using the stilleto as a sympathetic link, Edmond does his job (quite well, i might add)....

Edmond swaps bodys with Angel, and comes face to face with a known Seer. Edmond plays off not knowing anything about whats going on. Asmodeus gladly explains his true intentions of recruiting her to the winning side of an ancient battle for Atlantis. Edmond tries to talk his way out of joining now, and getting a ride home. The conversation soon turns to “join or die.” With a silver tongue, he(she) convinces Asmodeus that she will join, she needs to get things straight first. He respectfully accepts and pulls over to drop her(him) off on the side of the interstate.

Rand and Crim talk down Angel to understand her new predicament…being in Edmond’s body. They learn from Angel some of the sights she saw from her ride with Asmodeus. They learn that it isnt too far from their location and they can still make up some time to get Edmond (in Angels body). From Rands intel, Asmodeus is heading to the last of the 3 awakened mages at a Native American Reservation. They pick up a hitchiking Edmond (in Angel’s body, work attire and all) and head to the reservation.

Once they arrive, their nemesis has beat them to the punch. It seems he is still searching for the last mage. Crim slashes the limo’s tires while they head in. Using mind magesight, they pick up on the wierd thoughts still left by Ma’iitosh’s Awakening. They track her down and quickly explain the situation. She reluctantly decides to come temporarily. At the exit, they find Asmodeus waiting for them. Crim hurls a hidden knife into Asmodeus’s shoulder. Being outnumbered 5 to 1, he retreats with a vow to return for payback. The party makes off as fast as possible before he realizes the tires on his limo were slashed. Rands drives the group back to his sanctum to hide out over night.

Later that morning, Rand gets a call from his contacts that there is a 4th mage. He has been hospitalized due to being trampled by a crowd evacuating the Welson complex attack. Rand freaks out because the vampires and their goons have the hospital under their iron fist. Edmond does a quick background check (aka google search off of the given name). He then developes a plan using Angels body to infiltrate the hospital as a worried student of the professor. It works unnoticed, and he explains the situation to the professor. They then convince nurse and doctor to get aion christopher patched up as is his wounds are minimal now. It works and they walk out, unnoticed by any would be trouble makers. They meet up with Rand and drive back to the hide out.

The session ends with the party being given over to a Mentor to teach them how to use their abilities and learn rotes.

This is one session to help orientate my players by letting them get to know their characters by rp’ing their awakening.

Bryne Garett (Crim) – A freelance investigator/body guard. Hired by Dennis for unknown reasons. After making his way to the Welson Apartment complex, where Dennis resided, he found the given room number on the 14th floor (13th for those who really know). Before he could even knock, an explosion knocked him unconscious.

To Bryne, he was blown through the wall to an inevitable death. During free fall, he witnessed an angel come down from the heavens and offer a hand to save him. He took it. The angel carried him towards the sky, laying onto him the story of an epic battle with demons that was being waged in the sky. Bryne’s Help was needed, as was the countless numbers of other warriors that were being brought to this battleground in the heavens. He then descended upon the back lines of the celestial field for preperation for an arrowhead formation assualt to reclaim a tower that resonated in great power.

After being outfited with a sword and shield uppon request, he was informed on battle plans. After enough soldiers had been gathered and outfitted as well, they set out to the front lines. The battle ensued for the watch tower. celestial solders died, but more of the enemy parished. Through a massacre of demons, the arrow hit its mark. Bryne made his way inside to secure the tower, sacrificing his twin pistols that were the strangely the key to the tower. After clearing the tower, he found an open book. He saw the names of great warriors in this book, seeing an empty space and pen nearby…. he wrote his name.

He awakens from his reverie, strangely realizing he was not harmed from the blast from the apartment.

Ma’iitosh – A Native American midwife, She lives on a reservation on the edge of town. During a Peyote trip, she wonders into the forest like never seen before. Interactions with spirits of the land enlightens her to a “higher” calling (figuretively speaking, lol). A creature that feasts on the local spirits chases her deeper into the forest. After ditching the crazed beast, she gets lost. She then journeys through to the watchtower after some more interactions with the unsavory denizens of the realm to awaken.

(Angel) – A sleeper stripper making her living at the Abbatoir, awakens one night while dancing on stage. She halucinates her darkest nightmares and breaksdown during the middle of a show. A warpath ensues as she runs in terror, harming the living nightmares that try to stop her. Little does she know of the damage she cause to those coworkers trying to help her. She ventures to the watchtower in pursuit of a safe place to hide and she finds it. Once she finds safety, she comes to, puzzled as to how she came to be in an empty apartment… and the image of a smoldering building in the distance.

aion christopher – A professor in the occult, teaching a class at the local community college. As quite the book worm, he frequents his favorite bookstore to one day find a book, that seems to be a rare find. Estatic to have found such a treasure, buys it and eagerly takes it home to study. As he gets back to his apartment at the Welson complex, he doesnt even make it off the elevator before an explosion emanates on a floor seemingly above him. In that moment, he is jolted by what seems like the the cry of the dead. The sensation overwhelms him and he blacks out. He awakens to his journey to the stygian watchtower. When he comes to, he is in the back of an ambulance as a tampled victim of the evacuation attempt of the “terrorist” attack on the Welson complex.